Interrupter.



T; ABTMEYER.

d/WlTNESSES INVENTOR A BY my? ATTQRNEY urirrEDl srArEIlgENToFFioE. f

""THEODORE ABTMEYER, OF WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTING- HOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENN- SYLVANIA.

Specification. of Letters Patent.

INTERRUPTER.

Application filed August 11, 1913. Serial No. 784,090.

To all fle/10m t may concern Be 1t known that I, THEoDoRE ABTMEYER,

' a citizen of the United States, and a resident of lllillinsbui'g, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Interrupters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to interrupters for use in connection with the ignition systems of internal combustion engines, and it has for its object to provide a device which operates with a uniformly quick movement at varying engine speeds.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side and sectional view of a combined spark advancer and interrupter constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is an end and sectional view of the mechanism of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view, similar to Fig. 2, of a modification.

My invention is adapted to be employed in connection with a magneto or generator, or it may be connected directly to the engine. The mechanism is mounted upon a shaft 1 which may be a part of any of said machines. screwed into holes in the end of the shaft 1 at opposite sides of its axis and parallel thereto to serve as pivots for two centrifugally actuated levers 4 and 5 of substantion of the opposing arms.k The engaging faces of the arms and recesses are of such shape thatfthe levers are caused to move simultaneously and correspondingly under `the action of centrifugal force. Thus, movement of the lever. 4 upon its pivot 2 causes the arm 6 to press against the face of the recess in the lever 5 to effect a corresponding movement of the said lever, and move- :ment of the lever 5 upon its pivot 3 causes Two pins or posts 2v and 3 are.

the arm 7 to press against the face of the recess in the lever 4 to effect a corresponding movement of the said lever.

Diametrically opposite ends of the levers 4 and 5 are slotted for the reception of rollers 10 and 11 that protrude from the slots slightly beyond the cylindrical faces of the levers, the said rollers being mounted upon pins 10al and 11a that extend through the levers and project from the outer end faces thereof. The other ends of the levers 4 and 5 are solid and .constitute weights upon which centrifugal forces act to move vthe levers, and the disposition of the rollers with respect to the pivot or fulcrum points of the levers is such that they are moved both angularly forward and radially outward as the weighted ends of the levers are moved outwardly by centrifugal force. In this connection, it will be noted that the cylindrical faces of the levers 4 and'5 are not concentric with the axes about which they revolve, thus permitting of movements of the levers within the limited space allowed.

The levers 4 and 5 are normally maintained in the positions shown by means of springs 12 that are supported by arms 13 carried by a block 14 that is mounted upon the outer ends of the pins or posts 2 and 3, the said block being secured upon said pins by means of a Cotter pin 15 'that extends through transverse apertures in the ends of the pins. The free ends of the springs 12 bear against the inner faces of the projecting ends of the bearing pins 10a and 11a., thereby serving to resiliently oppose movements of the levers 4 and 5 by centrifugal action.

The stationary parts of the device are carried by a base or'bracket 17 that is suitably secured to the frame or other stationary part of the magneto, generator or engine, and is provided with a cylindrical sleeve portion 18 surrounding the levers 4 and 5, the lower portion of the said sleeve being'omitted or cut away for a distance of approximately 90 degrees. The sleeve 18 serves as a bearing for another sleeve 19 that closely fits the same and the lower portion of which is also omitted or cut away, the said sleeve constituting a part of, and a support for, a shell or frame 20 having lugs 21 for the attachment of means whereby the same may be rotated manually by the driver or operator.

A lever 22 is mounted within the frame 20 and is provided at one end with a block 23, of fiber or other suitable'material, which projects through the cut away portions of the sleeves 18 and 19 into the path of the rollers 10 and 11. The face 24 of the block 23, that is adapted to be engaged by the rollers, has a curvature that is slightly eccentric to the circular path of rotation of the rollers 10 and 11.

The lever 22 is provided, at an intermediate portion, with an integral curved portion 22a to be received by a depression 25 in a member 26 and which forms a fulcrum for -the lever 22. The member 26, which is supported by and insulated from the frame 20, is provided with an arm 27 having a bent portion 28. A coil spring 29 bears at one end against the bent portlon 28 and, at the other end, upon the opposite end of the lever` bent arms lor hooks 33 which engage the.

spring 30 upon its lower side to form a lost motion connection to the same.

The spring 30, when not engaged by the hooks 33, is adapted to press the contact piece 31 against the contact piece 32. AThe contact piece 31 is electrically connected through the spring 30 and the member 26, to a binding post* 34 that is insulated from the shell or frame 20. The contact piece 32 is connected -through a conducto-r 35 to a similar binding post 36.

The lever 22 is normally held in its upward position against a stop 37, the engaging surface of which is composed of insulating material. In this position of the lever, the hooks 33 hold the spring 29 upwardly to separate the contact pieces 31 and 32.

In the operation of` the device, the weighted ends of the levers 4 and 5 are moved outwardly by centrifugal force, against the action of the springs 12, in proportion to the speed at which they are revolved, the rollers 10 and 11 being thus moved around the pins 2 and 3, respectively, as centers. The relation of the parts is such that, as the arms 4 and 5 are actuated by centrifugal force, the rollers 10 and 11 are advanced from their initial or normal posi tions in the direction of revolution, being thus caused to enga e the eccentrically curved face 24 of the lock 23 sooner with respect to the corresponding positions of the engine pistons for the higher engine speeds 4 and 5 eccentrically with respect to their axis of revolution and of the peculiar relations of the parts, the rollers 10 and 11 are not only advanced by centrifu al actlon `upon the levers, but they are a so moved radially outward as the s eed of the engine increases. Then, since t e face 2,4 of the block 23 that is adapted to be engaged h the rollers 10 and 11 is eccentrically curve the rollers 10 and 11 will not only engage the said face sooner with the higher speeds, but will also engage ,it during greater portions of their angular movements at the higher speeds. The arrangement is such that, as the speed of the. engine increases, the angular distance of engagement between the rollers and the lever will correspondingly increase, thereby maintaining the periods of engagement of the contact members of the interrupter substantially uniform with changes of speed. The .importance of this feature will be appreciated when it is under-v stood that the interrupter contact members should engage a certain period of time for the most effective production of the spark, and that, if this period is exceeded, more than the necessary amount of current will be utilized, whereas, if it 4is diminished, the spark is likely to be less effective and reliable.

With the present device, the period of engagement of the interrupter contact members may be adjusted for the most effective operation at slow speeds, and lthis eriod will be automatically maintained su stantially 'uniform at all engine speeds, by reason of the construction and operation of the device as above set forth. In the use of the device, a manual adjustment will preferably be made, once for all, for the most desirable and effective advance or lead of the spark, permitting the device to thereafter operate automatically to maintain a suitable advance, though, if desired, the adjustment of the frame 20 may also be under the con'x trol of the operator or driver. Owing to the relatively rapid movement of the rollersI in Fig. 3 in which like numerals designate corresponding parts. The rotatable portion comprises a shaft 1 upon which is fixed a cam disk 38 having concentrically curved surfaces 39 and fiat faces 40. A block 41, that is mounted upon a lever 42, projects into the path of the curved surfaces 39. The lever 42 is provided, at an intermediate portion, with a curved member 43 which has a bearing in a block 44. A contact piece 45 is mounted upon and connected to the lever 42 and coacts with a stationary contact piece 46 thatl is mounted upon a conducting arm 47. A coil spring 29, which bears at one end against a bent portion 48 of a member 49, normally holds the lever in position with the Contact pieces in engagement. Binding posts 34 and 36 connect the contact pieces 45 and 46, respectively, to the primary circuit of 'an ignition system (not shown). The lever 42 is a channel-like structure similar to the lever 22 of Fig. 2.

In the operation of the interrupter of Fig. 3, the primary circuit is normally closed by the contact pieces 45 and 4G. The contact pieces 45 and 4G are separated tWice during eachv revolution of the cam disk `by the curved faces' 39. f

I claim as my invention:

, 1. In an interrupter, the combination with a stationary contact member` of a lever having a substantially semi-circular bearing member, integral therewith, a contact member controlled by said lever to coact with said stationary contact member, means for actuating said lever, and resilient means for normally retaining` said lever in one position.

2. In an interrupter, the combination with a stationary contact member, of an oscillatable lever of substantially channel-shape in cross-section and having a substantially semi-circular bearing member integral therewith, a contact member controlled by said lever to coact with said stationary contact member, means for actuating said lever, and means for yieldingly maintaining said lever in onel position.

3. In an interrupter, the combination with a plurality of relatively movable contact members, of a lever having a lost-motion connection to one of said contact members, and resilient means for actuating one of said contact members in opposite directions.

4. In an interrupter, the combination With a. plurality of relatively movable contact members, of a spring which carries one of said contact members, a lever of substantially channel shape in cross section and having a hook to form a lost motion connection to said spring, means for actuating said lever, and means for yieldingly holding said lever in one position.

5. In an interrupter, the combination with a plurality of relatively movable contact members, of a spring having a stationary support and which carries one of said contact members, a lever having a lost-motio-n connection to saidl spring, and a second spring for normally retaining said lever in one position.

6. In an interrupter,the combination with a plurality of relatively movable Contact members, of a spring having a stationary support and which carries one of said contact members, a lever which has a lostmotion connection to said spring, and means for normally holding said lever in position with said spring under tension.

7. In an interrupter, the combination with a plurality of relatively movable contact members,l of a spring having a stationary support and which carries one of said con* tact members and tends to press said contact members together, a lever having a lostmotion connection to said spring, a second spring for holding said lever in one position with the other spring under tension, and means for actuating the lever to decrease the tension of the other spring.

8. In an interrupter, the combination with a plurality of coacting Contact members, a relatively weak sprmg carrying one of said Contact` members and tending to press said contact members together, a lever having a lost-motion connection to said spring, and a relatively strong spring for holding said lever in one position to oppose the weak spring and thereby separate said contact members.

9. In an interrupter, the combination with a plurality of relatively movable Contact members, of a spring having a stationary support and carrying one of said contact members, a lever having a lost-motion connection to said spring, and a spring normally holding said lever in position to separate said contact members.

10. In an interrupter, the combination with a pair of relatively movable contact members, of a lever of substantially channel-shape in cross-section for controlling one of said contact meinbers, and means for periodically actuating said lever.

11. In an interrupter, .the combination With a pair of relatively movable contact members, and a s ring'for carrying one of said contact mem ers, of a lever connected to said spring, means for actuating said lever in opposite directions to respectively permit the engagement of said contactmembers and to disenga-ge said contact members against the force of said spring.

` 12. In an interrupter, the combination with a pair of relatively movable contact members, and a iXedly mounted spring for carrying one of said contact members, of a lever connected to said spring, means for actuating said lever in opposite directions to respectively permit said spring to effect theengagement of said contact memhers and 1n testimony whereof, I have hereunto to disengage said contact members and subscribed my name this 2nd day of August 10 therebf increase the tensionhof saidbspring. 1913.

13. n an interrupt/er, t e com ination 1 5 with a pair of coacting contact members, of THEO-DORE 'ABTMEYER' means for controlling one of said contact Witnesses: members comprisin a lever having a sub- B. B. HINES, stantially semi-circu ar bearing member. J. R. BACKOFEN. 

